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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bore — to drill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a music group
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — to come down
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. season — of the year
  20. land — a country
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — ground
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com